Quotes of the Week, Nov. 8, 2007

Here are some of the notable quotes from around Major League Baseball this week:

"Defense is a big part of my game and something that I pride myself in. For years, I've felt that my teammates and my peers have known that I'm a good defensive player and it's great to finally get recognized by the managers and coaches."

"He loves giving to the kids. He absolutely loves it. I'll tell you this, as good as Roger Clemens' career as the pitcher is, which is arguably the greatest of all time, he might be better at teaching than he is at pitching, which is a remarkable statement because he takes it seriously. He without question is trying to have the positive impact on the people he's speaking to. It's an amazing statement to make, but it's a real statement nonetheless. That's how much he cares about giving back and doing what's right and having a positive impact on people's careers, much like he had on Curt Schilling."

-- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Roger Clemens, who announced he plans to start his 10-year personal service contract with the Houston Astros this offseason, a sign that he may retire for good.
(Houston Chronicle)

"I think we're all excited for him. He's a great athlete, he's a great worker. It's just one more notch on his standing as one of the elite pitchers in the game."

"He can go from gap to gap with the best of them. Does it surprise me that he got there and made that catch? No. That's Gold Glove Grady."

-- Outfielder Trot Nixon, commenting earlier this season on a spectacular catch made by Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore. On Tuesday, it was announced that Sizemore had won his first Gold Glove award.
(MLB.com)

"I take a lot of pride in playing defense. To be recognized by the managers and coaches -- the people that watch you every day -- is the greatest compliment I can get."

-- Outfielder Aaron Rowand, a free agent who played with the Phillies in 2007, on winning his first Gold Glove.
(MLB.com)

"Absolutely, I'd love to. I enjoy closing. I think I did a good job of closing. I think I did a poor job of pitching sometimes when it wasn't a save situation. I'd love to [start]. I love doing it. I think I could do a good job of it."

-- Ryan Dempster on the topic of moving into the Cubs' starting rotation, in an interview last month. Earlier this week, the Cubs acknowledged that his move to the rotation in 2008 is likely.
(Chicago Sun-Times)

"I think I can improve on what I did next year, because for one thing, I know the American League better. But I couldn't have asked for a better fit than this team. This is a great group of guys, the coaching staff was really helpful, and the front office was fantastic."

-- Joe Borowski, summing up his 2007 campaign with the Indians while looking ahead to 2008.
(Akron Beacon Journal)

"Edgar Renteria got as many clutch, big hits that year as any player I had. Some guys are just capable of doing that. I don't really know how it happens. There are guys that get up in that situation and don't panic. They're very comfortable."

-- Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland on shortstop Edgar Renteria. Leyland was the manager of the 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins, who won the World Series when Renteria delivered the game-winning hit in the 11th inning.
(Detroit Free Press)

"Our prevalent goal right now is to win a championship, and I can't imagine any criteria where C.C. doesn't give us the best chance to do that."

"One of our goals coming into the offseason was to find a quality speed center fielder who could hit at the top of the order and give us a spark. Bourn is an outstanding young player who will make an immediate impact and should be productive for a long time. Plus, his addition allows us to move Hunter Pence to right field, where he will continue to grow into the All-Star caliber player that we know he's capable of becoming. While Bourn was the key to the deal for us, we also believe that Geoff Geary will do a solid job in our bullpen, and Mike Costanzo is an outstanding power prospect at third base."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First we've got to sit down with the Yankees and talk and see what they have to say."

-- Free agent catcher Jorge Posada commenting on wanting to talk to the Yankees before possibly talking to other clubs interested in him.
(Newsday)

"We're very happy with Jose Reyes. We're very happy with David Wright. We've got two of the best young players at those positions in the game."

-- Mets general manager Omar Minaya commenting on why the Mets aren't aggressively pursuing free agent Alex Rodriguez, who has played shortstop and third base in his career.
(Newsday)

"It's definitely quite an accomplishment, just winning a Gold Glove. Coming up as a third baseman and trying to work so hard to make it as a third baseman and trying to improve on my defense there, and to step in and play first base last year. And now, this year, to have a great year there and win a Gold Glove, means so much to me."

"I think he was happy with where he was at. He felt good. He played third base and had good lateral movement. He's progressing."

-- Angels general manager Tony Reagins on the play of third baseman Dallas McPherson during the team's instructional league season. McPherson missed all of 2007 with a back injury.
(Orange County Register)

"Shannon had a very positive experience with Oakland and is open to the possibility of coming back, and the A's have expressed interest, too."

--Greg Genske, the agent for outfielder Shannon Stewart on his client's possible return to the A's.
(San Francisco Chronicle)

"I wasn't expecting it or waiting for it to happen, because there is a lot of competition in the American League. I was actually pretty shocked when John told me, but shocked in a very good way."

--Adrian Beltre on hearing the news from manager John McLaren that he won the Gold Glove Award.
(Seattle Times)